Carmine Lupisella
'Carmine Lupisella '''was an Italian-American mobster who was the founding father of the Lupisella crime family, the fourth-strongest of New York's Five Families as of 2008. Lupisella originated from Sicily and immigrated to The Bronx in New York City, where he created a vast organization that took power in the vacuum after the death of Salvatore Maranzano in 1933. His family rose to power, turning The Bronx to their turf. Biography Lupisella was born in the sea town of Milazzo, Sicily. His family originated from central Sicily but migrated north to find a ship that would carry them to America. Born a month before his kin planned to hop on the cargo ship, he never really saw Italy before he departed. Lupisella was raised in The Bronx in New York City, where his family made their home, and became accustomed to the life of a poor immigrant. However, he met loanshark Jack Vespucci, who offered him a job as an enforcer. Work for Vespucci usually involved collecting payments from debtors, whether with or without a fight. His parents did not approve of his mob work, but they were forced to allow him to continue, as he was helping them pay their bills with the money that he earned. In 1917 he started to work as a burglar with a crew of fellow outlaws, and as the months went by, his targets increased in value. Eventually, he purchased a penthouse on the peak of the Barry Hotel in the affluent Grand Concourse neighborhood, where he based his gang. They paid protection to mob Capo Saladino Angotti, who collected money each week in exchange for keeping them alive. In 1920, Angotti was gunned down outside of his apartment building, believed to have been ordered by Lupisella, who took control of Angotti's money and crew. He also gained his safehouse, and let some of his gangsters use it as a refuge. In 1923, he built several restaurants and apartments for his men to use, and hired more hitmen to make his organization, titled the "Lupisella crime family", the wealthiest. Lupisella was not on the throne of power yet, however. He needed to appease Salvatore Maranzano, the vicious Mafioso whose Castellammarese Organization controlled New York City, as Angotti was one of his closest allies. Lupisella paid money to Maranzano in large quantities, and killed Maranzano Underboss Ettore Moccio with a carbomb in 1930 to avoid being ratted out for stopping his payments. Eventually, Maranzano grew suspicious of Lupisella, who turned to Joe Masseria for aid. Masseria granted him assistance by fighting Maranzano, but he was killed in 1931, and Maranzano emerged victorious. Lupisella was himself shot in 1932, but managed to survive these injuries and responded by conspiring with Lucky Luciano to kill Maranzano in 1933. With Maranzano's death, Lupisella was free to roam The Bronx without any troubles. He had nobody to pay tribute to, and declared himself the boss of The Bronx territories. His claim was immediately contested by the Lucchese crime family and Cuneo crime family, but he never fought them. He became the ''Padrino of the neighborhood and forced the local shopkeepers to pay him tribute, as he became the leader, rather than the client. In the 1940s Lupisella used the absence of substantial armed forces in NYC to lay down a solid claim to the leadership in The Bronx. He died in 1955 of natural causes, possibly cancer. Lupisella left his organization to his son Eduardo Lupisella, who was murdered by his other son Vincent Lupisella later on. Category:Lupisella Category:Mobsters Category:Dons Category:Sicilians